If you happen to be in the Beauty World MRT Station area, do check out “Ngohti Food” in the basement of Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. Their Dry Mee Siam is damn solid. Freshly fried in small batches (so sometimes you need’ll to wait a while for your order to arrive), it’s boldly spicy and sour - just the way I love this dish.
If you order the Premium Dry Mee Siam ($6.50), it comes with a Ngoh Hiang too. Served piping hot, it is fragrant, has a very crispy wrap of beancurd skin and deliciously seasoned, juicy filling.
I’d ordered their Fried Beehoon with Egg and Luncheon Meat on a previous visit and enjoyed it very much as well.

I had asked for the housemade sourdough to be served separately. Definitely try this hack because the smoky and flavourful grilled bread tastes soooo good by itself.

Visited “Seow Choon Hua” after hearing about their Fuzhou delicacies from my parents.
A casual eatery with indoor and outdoor seating, I was told by the gentleman manning the counter that they make everything in-house by hand. So it seemed logical to order their Mixed Bowl.
In it were “Yuan Pi” (the small, juicy pork balls with the thinnest, most delicate wrapping - my favourite of the lot), Wanton (medium size pork dumplings), “Shui Gao” (large triangular dumplings), “Yu Yuan” (fishballs) and Fuzhou “Yu Yuan” (huge minced meat-filled fishballs with a mochi-like texture, so they’re unlike the ones you find at the usual fishball noodles stalls). I had mine with plain rice while @huatkaliao opted for the version with dry noodles (it’s really tasty as they dress the noodles in a sweet-savoury sauce and pork lard oil).
As this dialect group’s cuisine is getting increasingly hard to find these days, I reckon it’s worth giving the food here a try.

Dropped by for a late lunch because we had been missing the “zi char” here.
Decided to share a few dishes this time instead of the “one-dish-meal” option. After some deliberation, we chose the Salted Egg Pork Rib ($13), Kum Hiong Sotong ($16) and French Beans with Chye Por ($11) to have with plain rice.
Apart from the fact that the pork rib item could have been a bit hotter in terms of temperature, everything was very tasty.
We enjoyed the squid the most from amongst the three because they use the baby version of it, stirfrying them to springy yet tender perfection. Plus the Kum Hiong flavour profile with curry powder and curry leaves is rather uncommon, aromatic and just spicy enough.

My god-daughter introduced us to this place. She loves their signatures of Baked Salted Egg Yolk Custard Buns ($6.80++) and Steamed Crispy Rice Rolls with Shrimp ($5.80++) the most, and I have to agree with her - those are terrific. The former has the thick savoury-sweet golden lava encased in a light and crumbly pastry while the latter offers a fun mouthfeel with the contrasting textures.
We went a bit overboard and ordered too much food for the four of us but hey, is anyone surprised? 😂 Ended up taking some home because we just couldn’t finish 😅
Overall, I liked the food. When I return, these would be what I’d reorder: Steamed Pork Ribs with Yam (it’s so smooshy soft), Century Egg and Lean Meat Congee, Mentaiko Har Gao, and Fresh Shrimp with Fried Carrot Cake in X.O. Sauce.
On another note, I found service to be good here - efficient but still warm.

Ever since my friend told me that @ilovebalisg’s Chinese-style Nasi Lemak is a favourite of her family’s, I have been wanting to visit. Finally found the opportunity to drop by the other day right after their opening time of 5.30pm. We were the first few to place our order but in mere moments, a queue formed right behind us.
I found the rice here very fragrant, light and fluffy, and without a trace of oiliness. It went very well with the sweet-savoury sambal which you can still spot onions in.
The highlight for me was the petal and wing bean dish. Stirfried quickly in a savoury “hae bee hiam”, both vegetables retained a fresh crunch which I adore.
Of the two options for chicken wings, I preferred the one coated in black sauce - it’s deepfried before being tossed in the sweet “kicap manis” so there is a bit of crunch when you sink your teeth into it. If you are a fan of the “keropok hard crunch” style of batter, then go for the golden-brown fried wings.
Eggs were cooked on point with a semi-runny yolk, and the grilled Otah was thick, aromatic and spicy - worth getting both of these as well.
I did miss my sliced cucumber though. It’s a vital part of my Nasi Lemak experience but unfortunately, they didn’t have it that evening.

(Media Tasting) Singapore’s only underwater fine dining destination - @oceanrestaurantrws, has just reopened with a refreshed look. And a new Chef Patron who hails from Brittany, France: Chef @olivier_bellin who is also the chef-owner of two Michelin-starred L'Auberge des Glazicks.
The menu he has crafted for Ocean is inspired by its unique space and is therefore, seafood-focused, even as it demonstrates a commitment to sustainable gastronomy. You can enjoy it in the form of a multi-course lunch or dinner in the elegant comfort of the refurbished restaurant that commands unparalleled views of the @S.E.A.Aquarium. The sight of more than 100,000 marine animals representing 1,000 species across 45 diverse habitats, swimming gracefully right before your eyes while you feast, is as awe-inspiring as it is calming. I have always loved the experience, which is why @huatkaliao and I have dined at Ocean a few times over the last couple of years.
However, the food we were served at this media tasting, proved to be the most impressive culinary-wise. In my opinion at least, because Chef Olivier’s style of cooking really suits my palate.
Lunch began with a lovely cocktail - the “From Paris To Singapore”, a concoction of Grey Goose Vodka, berries reduction, lychee jus and @TWG berries tea.
Then, Chef @remivanpeteghem, the Culinary Director of @rwsentosa arrived with the first course. He also gave an introduction to Chef Olivier’s approach and philosophy behind the menu. In the meantime, Chef Olivier was busy in the kitchen because he believes in doing the actual cooking himself. So we got to meet him in person only after the meal ended.
Anyway, as it was explained to us, herbs and an element from the sea are always represented in each dish. The amuse bouche which playfully combined a warm squid ink sauce with cool textures of cauliflower and caviar set a fine example from the start. It was much more robust in flavour than it looked too. I was wow-ed.
Naturally, Chef Olivier’s sourdough and mini baguettes blew us away. We couldn’t stop schmearing on the salted and seaweed butters, and stuffing our faces with both breads.
A key practice in sustainability is to source ingredients locally, and to support that, frog legs for the next course came from Jurong in Singapore. They were breaded and fried till crunchy on the outside and juicy within, and plated with a cloud of garlic foam and black garlic purée. Again, audacious tastiness reigned.
Amazingly, it was a whole uncut lobster hidden in the huge Ravioli that came in a pool of sauce made from roasted lobster shells. Layering this creation with extra dimensions were Granny Smith apples and a chilled slab of foie gras terrine.
One of the standout courses for me was the Butter Poached Dover Sole swimming in an incredible First Harvest Tomato Marmalade. I wasn’t surprised when I learnt a little later that it’s the favourite of @rwsentosa’s Director of Corporate Communications.
Even in the meat course Chef Olivier incorporated herb and seafood elements - in the form of a pesto coulis and fresh sea urchin respectively. These complemented the stunningly done Wagyu - a smoky, Josper Grill-cooked medium-rare beauty, to perfection. So did the seasonal vegetables that graced the dish with a garden-fresh crunch. I was charmed as well by the potato which was rolled with seaweed.
Prepared and assembled a la minute, dessert was Chef’s take on the millefeuille and it was constructed from layers of crisp pastry, soft brown butter braised pear and a milk sorbet.
We took our time with the petit fours, nibbling them between sips of black coffee.
When we return with my parents in late July (yes - a reservation has been made), we plan to explore wine-pairing and ask Sommelier @djek for recommendations. I’m sure she will have great suggestions since @oceanrestaurantrws’ new wine cellar has over 400 wine labels, ranging from the big award-winning names to boutique labels.
Thank you very much again for the extremely tasty meal, Chef @oliver__bellin. We are fans of your style of cooking where flavours take centrestage and seasoning is gutsy. And thank you @rwsentosa for hosting.

Sometimes the urge for @shakeshacksg hits hard, and you gotta do what you gotta do. @huatkaliao added a fried egg for $1.70 to his single patty Shackburger for the first time while I made a beeline for their double patty Smokeshack. Love the heat from those chopped cherry peppers inside it.
For #ShakeShack fries, I actually scour for the thinner, crispier ones. Which is weird because for McDonald’s, it’s the limp ones that I go for 😂

Being seated outdoors at @changkoreanbbq in Dempsey on cool nights is a really pleasant experience. You get to be away from the smoky smell, and your order of meats gets barbecued for you (which is perfect for lazy-to-cook people like me 😆). The friendly staff always presents whatever you’ve picked to be verified first before whisking it away to be grilled and cut up. So upon return, each order of piping hot meat can be eaten right away.
We only had beef on this recent visit because all of us were craving red meat. While the Marinated Prime Rib Eye (Australian, 200G - $58++) was flavourful and a tad sweet in taste profile from its marination, the Fresh Cut Prime Short Rib (U.S. 300G - $69++) was au naturel juicy goodness.
I alternated between wrapping the barbecued beef in leaves with green chilli, raw garlic plus a dab of the sauces provided, and pairing each piece with the “Myul Naengmyun” (#ChangKoreanBBQ does the tastiest version in my opinion). The piping hot meat and cold noodles (dressed in some vinegar and mustard) is a killer combination.
One thing we realised that evening was that the Banchan served during dinner differs a little from lunch. There were a few premium items such as marinated cockles, in the large spread. But when you request for another round, these won’t necessarily appear again. I guess, quite understandably, each table only gets a single helping of the pricier Banchan.

On a whim, we hopped over to the coffeeshop at the opposite end of Blk. 59 Marina Terrace which we don’t usually visit and were pleasantly surprised by the hawker stall we ordered from.
Although called “Ming Ji Cantonese Style Wanton Noodle”, I felt a stronger pull for the elderly couple’s Ipoh Hor Fun and Laksa (partly because I saw others ordering those 😁).
No regrets.
The gravy of the former had a lot more flavour than most others I have tried and the $4 portion was generous with juicy mushrooms, shredded chicken breast, chye sim and it came with a boldly spicy and savoury (this is important to me!) sambal.
The $3.50 bowl of Laksa had cockles, the kind of taupok that I adore (very spongey and absorbent), slices of fishcake and lots of beansprouts. I would have preferred the thick beehoon to be cooked a tad less soft but the gravy was shiok. It struck me as being very close in style to my all-time favourite - Sungei Road Laksa at Jalan Berseh. Which means it is really aromatic and not too thick - the ideal consistency for slurping till not one drop is left. Loved it with big dollop of that same sambal.

Introduced by the OG foodie in the family, my mum, I got to know about “Warung Java”. Located in a coffeeshop at Blk. 539 Bedok North St. 3, this stall is popular for its Malay dishes.
I consider their Nasi Rawon one of the best around. Besides being large in portion, the all-important beef and “buah keluak” gravy splashed over the rice is fragrant and generous with pieces of beautifully tender meat. So is the paru (beef lungs) which surprises me greatly because rarely if ever, does this organ come in such a cushiony-soft state. Equally eager to yield to the bite is thinly-sliced cuttlefish cooked in slightly sweet sambal. While chopped long beans provide some fresh crunch, the begedil (spiced mashed potato patty) scores above average in size and tastiness. Automatically included with the Nasi Rawon is a sambal belachan which is of sweat-will-break-out standard.
If you love Malay food like I do, this stall is a must-visit.

After a rather ho-hum lunch from a multiple-awarded chicken rice stall in Tiong Bahru Food Centre, I needed to console myself with something much tastier, so I walked around, hoping for something to catch my eye. The universe answered in a flash because whom should I bump into but the OG food blogger - @danielfooddiary, and he recommended @the.coco.rice.
Ladyboss Aries Chan shared with me that her previous career was in marketing but after the success of her home-based business @nasilemakindulgence’s #NasiLemakCake, she decided to open a stall selling her blue pea flower tinged #NasiLemakKukus too.
I ordered a few sets to take home to enjoy. And enjoy, we definitely did. Here are my thoughts on each component in the dish:
- There is significant coconut richness in the light, fluffy steamed rice.
- Sambal is sweetish, spicy and MSG-free - I like it a lot! It goes amazingly with the rice, as well as the extra large crispy ikan bilis, peanuts and cucumber.
- The Otah is a must to add on because it takes on the form of a pan-grilled patty, and is intensely fragrant and tasty. In fact, I should warn you that one piece may not be enough.
- Much bigger than average, the Fried Chicken Thigh is aromatic from a herb and spice marinade. I feel though it is best to eat this on the spot in order to relish the intended crispiness.
- Tempeh and Tau Kwa are fine - neither is overfried or hard.
- The Lady’s Fingers have a lovely crunch and are dressed with a different savoury, drier sambal which I also found appetising.

Prices for each Nasi Lemak Set fall between $6.90 and $9.90.